Has the 'Voice First' interface trend gone mainstream -- and can it benefit seniors? Some think so. What has initially been driven by Apple platform Siri and the Amazon Echo – and now with Google Home -- is about to become mainstream (or as it is described, 'Voice First’) as the primary way we interact with technology. There is even a possibility soon that both the Echo and Google Home devices could be utilized for voice calling. Here are seven examples of 'Voice First' approaches and experiments for seniors. Soon there will be more that reference Google Home – please comment with your own 'Voice First' example -- these are from the company websites or news stories:

Tech-enabled transportation options for older adults. Who would have thought of such a specialization before Uber and Lyft, but today, even Uber and Lyft have introduced specialized offerings. All are interested in (or have been) expanding beyond their home base or current business. Some are scalable nationwide – or want to be. Is the service appropriate for the older adult population it is intended to serve? Is there a growing opportunity for home care companies to add transportation to their services, especially those home care companies that already have consumer apps? Does this signal a business opportunity for senior housing firms? Information below is from the websites of the firm or related media.

The upshot: older adults are not buying into the trendiest tech. Maybe it is because they can’t afford it, aren’t aware of it, or are unconvinced of its value. Or maybe the unconvinced who could afford to spend the money fear privacy violations or identity theft. Or are burned out at staring at too much information on Facebook or Twitter. Considering their twenty years of life expectancy at age 65, perhaps overcoming technology adoption resistance and gaps should be a greater priority for those who want to help those in the oldest decades live their best lives. Looking at the update from Pew, observe: